Steering device for traction-engines.



W. S. WILLIAMS.

STEERING DEVICE FOR TRACTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 31, 1912.

Patented Got. 21, 1913.

' 2 SHEETs-SHEET l.

W. S. WILLIAMS.

STEERING DEVICE FOR TRACTION ENGINES.

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APPLICATION PILBI) MAYSI, 1912.

Patented 001;. 21, 1913.

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WILBUR S. WILLIAMS, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

STEERING DEVICE FOR TRACTION-ENGINES.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented @ct. 21,1913.

Application filed May 31, 1912. Serial No. 700,612.

State of Minnesota, have invented certain new, and useful Improvements in Steering Devices for lraction-Engines, following is a specification.

My invention relates to steering devices for traction engines when used for plowing.

It is a principal object of my invention to provide a steering device for the above purpose. which shall include a pilot wheel adapted to run in a furrow and bear against the side thereof, said wheel being connected to the traction engine so as to be positioned between the rear traction wheels and the front steering wheels although held outside of the vertical plane of said wheels.

It is a further object of my invention to provide means whereby when the pilot wheel is operating in the furrow the steering wheels of the engine will be disconnected from the usual manually controlled steering mechanism and be controlled solely by the pilot wheel, this means being such that when the wheel for any reason is caused to rise from the furrow the said manually con trolled steering mechanism. s automatically caused again to resume control of the steerof which the ing wheels of the engine.

vide a furrow pilot A further object of my invention is to prowheel of a novel form which may be readily constructed from sheet metal.

The full objects and advantages of my invention will appear in connection with the detailed description thereof and are particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, illustrating the application of my invention in one form,-I*igure 1 is-a side elevation of a traction engine indicated somewhat diagrammatically with my novel steering mechanism attached thereto. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary'view on a larger scale with some parts broken away similar to Fig.1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the-parts I shown in Fig. 2. -Big. 4 1s a front elevation of my steering device with some parts broken away; Figs. 5 and (3 are detail views of one form of my improved furrow wheel. Figs.

7 andS are detail views of the supportmg moms, for said wheel.

The."- traction wheels 10, front steering arm 21 having on .ripheries thereof to wheels 11., and body 12 of the traction engine shown are or may be of any well known construction. The front axle 13 of the engine, however, is of the divided or automobile type, each of said wheels 11 being mounted on a stub axle 14 extending outwardly from a hub 15 vertically pivoted between bracket arms 16 and 17 on the ends of axle 13, the said hubs being provided with horizontally disposed arms 18 connected by a link 19 to cause the arms and wheels 11 to be oscillated in unison on the vertical hubs 15. A bracket 20 extends outwardly from hub 15 so as to avoid the bracket 17, as best shown in Fig. 3. Pivoted to move horizontally on the end of bracket 20 is a segment the periphery thereof a series of teeth 22 adapted to mesh with a worm 23 on the end of a rod 24 connected with usual normally controlled steering mechanism. Pivoted at 25 to the segment arm 21 is an arm 26 which is in the form of a tube with an open slot 27 up one side thereof. A block 28 is slidably mounted in said tube and normally pressed upward by means of the spring 29 against a plug 30 closing the end of said tubular arm 26. The block 28 is pivotcdto an arm 31'fast on a rock shaft 32 journaled in an extension 33 of bracket 17 and a hanger 34; extending down from the frame of the engine. Secured to the inner end of rock shaft 32 is another arm 35 having on the end thereof a yoke 36.

A bar 37 is pivotally secured in said yoke by means of a bolt 38 passing through one of a number of apertures 39 formed in said bar for providing a means of adjustment. lhe bar 37 has a piece L0 pivoted thereto to swing in a vertical plane and to said piece 40 is rigidly bolted the flange 1-1 of a wheel spindle 42, said spindle, being formed with a disk 43 adjacent the flange 41.. The bolt 44: by which the flange 41 is secured to piece 40 is relatively large and is designed to hold the spindle 42 in any desired position of angular adjustment. relative to piece 40.

The furrow wheel 45 is journaled on spindle 42. This furrow wheel is preferably formed of two pieces of sheet metal 16 and v 17 secured together by rivets 48 at the peform a central flange, each of plates 46' and 47 being bulged so that the'wheel is lens-shaped in cross section, as shown in Fig. 5. Each of plates 46 I it being noted that and 47 has a central aperture punched through the'same, that punched through plate 47. being preferably larger than that punched in plate 46, and within these apertures is seated a hub 49 having a flange 50 on the inner side thereof'by which said hub is riveted to plate 47, the hub being formed with a bearing 51 .for receiving the spindle 42. As best shown in Fig. 3, the piece 40 is provided with an extension 52 receiving the end of a rod 53 connected by means of a universal joint 54 with a frame member 55 of the engine. The .wheel 45 therefor is suspended by means of the link or bar 3'? and the rod 53 and may rise and fall relatively to the surface of the ground by swinging the arm 35 and the .rock shaft 32, when the wheel rises and said rock shaft is rocked the member 28 through arm 31 is moved downwardly against the force of spring 29 finally operating to swing segment arm 21 so that the teeth thereof mesh with the worm 23, as in* dicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4. When the segment 21 will be withdrawn from en gagement with the worm and when the wheel is lifted to a determined amount, in practice about the level of the ground, the segment gears the worm to the arm 20 so that the wheels become subject to the manually controlled steering mechanism of the engine.

For lifting the furrow wheel 45 from the ground a flexible connection 56 extends to one arm 57 of an elbow lever, pivoted at 58, the other arm 59 of which is connected by a link 60 with a hand lever 61 in the cab of the engine by means of which the wheel 45 may be held inoperative and the segment 21 be held in engagement with the worm 23 whenever the engine is not being used for plowing. It will be noted that the suspension of the pilot wheel 45 from the link or bar 37 and the seatingrod 53 is such as to permit ready oscillating movement in a direction transverse to the direction of move ment of the machine so'that the furrow wheel may follow any irregularities of the furrow wall. The steering wheels of the engine are controlled by such a movement through a link (30 pivotally connected with the extension 52 and connected, by means of a bolt 61 through one of several apertures 62 adjacent the free end of said link, with a swivel bolt 63 having a bearing in an arm 64 of the hub Q5 of which is mounted to oscillate in a horizontal plane upon a pin 66 depending from a hanger (37 secured to the frame of the engine. An arm 68 extends from hub (35 into proxin'iily with the link 19 connecting the arms 13 on the steering Wheel hubs l5 and the arm is pivotally connected by means of a link (it) with a piece 70 adjustably secured to link 19. It fol lows, therefore, that as the furrow wheel 45 maybe oscillated transversely to the engineit will, through link 60, arm 64, arm 68 and link 69, oscillate thelink 19 andv with. it the arms 18 and steering wheels 11 of the traction engine, and this oscillation will always be in a direction to turn the steering wheels so as to causethem to move toward or away from the line of the plowing ac cording as the pilot wheel is moved. 1

As already pointed out, the pilot wheel is designed to be set with a slant toward thev side wall of the furrow, the bulging part of the wheel engaging said side wall which. con-v strains the wheel to follow along the furrow. That is, the wheel is always running in to-- Ward the furrow wall and engagement of the side of the wheel with the ffurrow Wall prevents it from running'out so that the pilot wheel will follow along the wall of the furrow moving in-and out according as the furrow wall may curve in or, out. Ainove' ment of the wheel in toward the plowed land or away through the combination of oscillate the steering wheels 11 so as to turn them toward the furrow and when the pilot wheel moves in the opposite direction the. steering wheels 11 will be correspondingly oscillated away from the furrow. These compensating movements will necessarily be small, the result of which would be to cause levers described,

from the traction engine will, 1

the steering wheels of the engine. to track.

along almost-if not quite exactly parallel with the direction of the furrow wall. During all of this time when the pilot wheel 45 is in the furrow the hand-operative steering mechanism is disconnected fromany control of the steering wheels of the traction engine which are controlled solely by the pilot wheel 45. r If at any time the furrow runs out or becomesfilled sothat the wheel 45 rises to the top of the ground or if the wheel 45 is raised by the operator the seg- .ment 21 will be forced down by the means already described so as to 'c'ause the teeth 22 thereof to mesh in the worm 23 with the result that the steering wheels 11 will be locked in fixed position but under control of the operator through the hand-operative steering mechanism. I

My invention is simple in structure, can conveniently be applied to any type of traction engine, is easy to operate and keep in order, and is absolutely accurate in its results. I

I claim:

1. In combination with a. traction engine provided with front steering wheels mounted on short stub axles connected to oscillate about vertical pivots in unison, a rod connected by universal joint with a rear frame member and extending obliquely to the side of the engine between the wheels thereof, a link pivoted to swing transversely of the of the pilot wheel will effect corresponding oscillation of the steering wheels.

2. Incombination with a traction engine provided with front steering wheels mounted on about vertical pivots in unison, a rod connected by universal joint with a rear frame memberand extending obliquely to the side of the engine between the wheels thereof, a link pivoted to swing transversely of the engine to the lower end of which said rod is pivotally connected, a furrow pilot wheel journaled at a fixed angular position relative to the direction of travel of the engine, and means connecting said furrow pilot wheel with the steering Wheels whereby lateral movements of the pilot wheel will effect corresponding oscillation of the steering wheels.

3. In combination with a traction engine provided with front steering wheels mounted on short stub axles connected to oscillate about vertical pivots in unison, a rod connected by universal ioint with a rear frame member and extending obliquely to the side of the engine between the wheels thereof, a link pivoted to swing transversely of the engine to the lower end of which said rod is pivotally connected, a furrow pilot wheel journaled at the end of said rod and adapted to run in a furrow or along the surface of the ground, and means connecting said furrow pilot wheel with the steering wheels whereby lateral movements of the pilot wheel will efi'ect corresponding oscillation of the steering wheels.

4. In combination with a traction engine provided with front steering wheels mounted on short stub axles connected to oscillate about vertical pivots in unison, a rod connected by universal joint with a rear frame member and extending obliquely to the side of the engine between the wheels thereof, .a link pivoted to swing transversely of the engine to the lower end of which said rod is pivotally connected, afurrow pilot wheel journaled at the end of said rod and adapted to run in a furrow or along the surface of the ground, means connecting said furrow pilot wheel with-the steering wheels whereby lateral movements of the pilot wheel will effect corresponding oscillations of the steerin'g wheels, and means for swinging said rod and link to hold the furrow wheel out of contact with the ground.

In combination with a traction engine having steering wheels mounted on stub axles adapted to oscillate about vertical pivots and having arms extending outwardly from said axles and connected by a transshort stub axles connected to oscillate 3 the end of said rod and having pilot wheel.

verse link, a rod havingnniversal joint connection with a: rear frame member of the engine and extending obliquely to the side of the engine between the wheels thereof, a link pivoted to swing transversely of the engine to the lower end of which said rod is pivotally connected, a furrow pilot wheel f jonrnaled at the end of said rod and adapted to run in a furrow oralong the surface of the ground, a two-armed lever pivoted to swing horizontally and having'one arm pivotally connected with said first named link, and a link pivotally connecting the other arm of said lever with the lower end of said rod whereby lateral swinging movements of the pilot wheel will cause corresponding oscillations of the steering wheels.

6. A traction engine comprising oscillatable steering wheels, hand operative means for oscillating said wheels, a furrow pilot wheel having connections for oscillating sai Wheels, and means for disconnecting thehand operative means from the steering wheels. when the pilot wheel descends into a furrow.

7. A traction engine comprising oscillatable steering wheels, hand operative means for oscillating said wheels, a furrow pilot wheel having connections for oscillating said Wheels, and means dependent upon the position of the pilot wheel relative to the'surface ofthe ground for connecting and'disconnecting said hand operative means from the steering wheels.

8. A traction engine comprising oscillatable steering wheels, handoperatlve means 'for oscillating said wheels including a worm, a furrow pilot wheel having connec: tions for oscillating said wheels through lateral movements thereof, a pivoted arm provided with a gear segment adapted to mesh with said worm in one position, and means connect-mg sald pilot wheel with the pivoted arm whereby vertical movements of the pilot wheel will bring said segment into and out of mesh with the worm.

9. A traction'engine comprising oscillatable steering wheels, hand operative means for oscillating said wheels including a worm, a furrow pilot wheel having connections for oscillating said wheels through lateral movements thereof, a pivoted arm provided with a gear segment adapted to mesh. with said worm in one position, a two-armed lever, one arm of which is pivotally connected with said segment arm, other arm of said lever and supporting said 10. A traction engine comprising oscillatable steering wheels, hand operative means and a link pivoted to the for oscillating said wheels including a worm,-

a furrow pilot wheel having connections for oscillating said wheels through lateral movements thereof, a pivoted arm provided with a gear segment adapted to mesh with said egg 1,076,340

Worm in one position, a two-armed lever, In testimony whereof I aflix my signature one arm of which is pivotally connected With in presence of two Witnesses.

said segment ar n, and a link pivoted to the VVHJBUR S WILLIAMS other arm 0isaid lever and supporting sald pilot Wheel, the connection from the se;;- Witnesses: nient arm to the arm of the lever including- JESSE VAN VALKENBURG, egive-and-take spring. F. A. MVHITELEY. 

